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SEEDTIME ^^ 
HARVEST 




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THIS CIRCULAR contains maps showing 
' the dates when planting, harvesting, and 
other operations are performed in the culture 
of staple crops in different parts of the United 
States, and also graphs showing the seasonal 
distribution of labor by 10-day periods on 
typical farms in several important agricul- 
tural regions. The inscriptions under the 
maps and graphs afford information as to 
the hours of labor per acre required in grow- 
ing the staple crops in certain sections of the 
country. 



Contribution from the Office of Farm Management and Farm 

Economics 

G. W. FORSTER, Acting Chief 

Washington, D. C. lasued March, 1922 



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SEEDTIME AND HARVEST. 

A GRAPHIC STUDY OF SEASONAL WORK ON FARM CROPS. 

By Oliver E. Bakeb, Agricultural Economist, Office of Farm Management and 
Farm Economics ; Charles F. Brooks, Formerly Assistant in Farm Manage- 
ment; James R. Covert, Formerly of the Bureau of Crop Estimates; and 
Reginald G. Hainsworth, Head Draftsman, Office of Farm Management and 
Farm Economics. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Farm labor distribution 

The northward and southward move- 
ment of seedtime and harvest 



How the maps were made. 
The labor graphs 



MAPS AND GRAPHS. 



Page. 
Seasonal distribution requirements of 

labor on typical farms 7 

Frost and tlie gi'owing season 11 

Winter wheat 14 

Spring wheat 18 

Winter oats 22 

Spring oatis 24 

Corn 28 

Kafir 32 

Timothy and clover 33 

Alfalfa 34 



Cotton 

Early potatoes 

iLate potatoes (northern commercial 

crop) 

Sugar beets 

Field beans 

Tobacco 

Elberta peach 

Ben Davis apples 

Strawberries 

Tomatoes 



Page. 
5 



Page. 
36 
40 

42 
44 
46 
48 
50 
51 
52 
53 



FARM LABOR DISTRIBUTION. 

THE PROBLEM OF LABOR DISTRIBUTION on a farm 
is very different from that of a manufacturing plant. In a fac- 
tory the employees are protected from the weather, so that work can be 
carried on during the winter and on rainy days in suinmer without 
change in the character of the work and with approximately uniform 
efficiency. But farming is done outdoors, and the farmer is limited 
not only by weather conditions but also by the progress of the sea- 
sons, which require that practically all the crop operations, such as 
planting and harvesting, be done at a particular time of year. More- 
over, the character of the work is constantly changing, and the labor 
problem is made still more difficult for the farmer to solve because of 
the fact that the amount of labor required to perform the different 
seasonal operations on the crops varies widely. In the South it is the 
chopping out, or thinning, of cotton and the picking of cotton that re- 
quire the largest amounts of labor. In the wheat regions it is harvest 
time when the labor is needed; in the fruit regions, picking time. 
The cotton must be picked before a certain time or it will be dis- 
colored or lost, the wheat must be harvested or it will shatter or be 
damaged by weather, the fruit must be picked or it will fall and rot. 

3 



4 Seedtime and Harvest. 

In other regions the amount of plowing that can be done during a 
certain period in the spring limits the acreage of crops. In some re- 
gions operations can be adjusted through apportioning crop acreages, 
so that a comparatively uniform distribution of work throughout 
the growing season is secured, but in other regions, particularly 
those where cotton, wheat, or fruit is the dominant crop, there will 
inevitably occur periods in the season when extra labor must be 
secured. In harvesting wheat, for example, a large army of tran- 
sient labor must be assembled each summer in the wheat fields of the 
Central West. These considerations make the question of seasonal 
distribution of labor one of prime importance to the farmer. 

While the figures showui on the maps and in the graphs and in- 
scriptions that follow present only the usual dates and labor require- 
ments, this limitation does not destroy their value as indicative of 
the seasonal labor requirements of crops in the country at large. A 
glance at the seeding dates given in the spring wheat maps, for in- 
stance, shows that in certain regions this operation begins about the 
1st of April, that seeding becomes general about the middle of April 
and ends about the 1st of May. These dates are based on many 
reports of actual practice, and although what actually occurs in any 
given year may differ considerably^ it is useful to know about when 
wheat seeding will need to l)e done. The wheat grower living in this 
region understands that the preliminary preparation of the land 
must precede planting. He must make allowance for time in which 
to perform these operations and crowd no large amount of other work 
into this period. This also applies in the production of other im- 
portant farm crops. 

Note. — The collection of information concerning the dates of planting and harvesting 
the crops and of performing other farm operations was first undertaken by the Bureau 
of Crop Estimates (at that time Bureau of Statistics) in 1010, and the work placed 
under the supervision of J. R. Covert. The results of a schedule forwarded to and 
returned by the county representatives and otlier agents of that bureau were edited, 
tabulated, and discussed by Mr. Covert and published as Bulletin S.3, Btireau of Sta- 
tistics, United States Department of Agriculture, in 1912. The demand for this bulletin, 
entitled " Seedtime and Harvest : Cereals, Flax, Cotton, and Tobacco," was so great 
that it was soon out of print. 

In 1913, upon the inception of the pro.iect to prepare and publish an Atlas of American 
Agriculture,, it appeared advisalile to have more detailed data than were obtainable from 
these schedules, so with the cooperation of the Bureau of Crop Estimates and in collabo- 
ration with Mr. Covert, the OflBce of Farm Management prepared separate schedules for 
wheat, cora, potatoes, oats, cotton, grain sorghums, sugar beets, beans, tobacco, bay 
crops, rye, and barley, which have been forwarded from time to time by the Bureau 
of Crop Estimates to its list of township reporters, some ."..3,000 in number. It is the 
endeavor of that l)ureau to maintain one crop reporter in each township in the United 
States, who is selected, in so far as possible, from among 4:he more successful and 
intelligent farmers in the township. The fullness and accuracy with which the schedules 
have been filled out is evidence of the loyalty and carefulness of these men. As evidence 
of the i-eliability of their reports it may lie mentioned that the Office of Farm Manage- 
ment has collected independently a number of farm records of planting and harvesting 
crops extending back 20 to .30 years, and the average date derived from these records 
differed less than four days, and usually less than two days, from the mode of the dates 
(that is, the most frequent date) given by the township reporters in that locality. 

The returns from these more detailed reports were mapped and some sixty of the maps 
were selected for publication in the Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture, 1917, 
under the title " A Graphic Summary of Seasonal Work on Farm Crops." The present 
circular is a revision of this Yearbook article, which is now out of print. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 5 

THE NORTHWARD AND SOUTHWARD MOVEMENT OF SEEDTIME 

AND HARVEST. 

The most striking feature of the maps is the northward and upward 
movement of spring operations and events and the southward and 
downward j)rogress in autumn. This movement progresses at a rate 
of approximately 1° of latitude, or 400 feet of altitude, in four 
da^^s. Local climatic influences of the Great Lakes and of the At- 
lantic Ocean are evident on almost every map. In operations which 
may be performed during a long period the maps indicate for the 
most part only the effect of local competition for labor by other crops, 
although the underlying control of general climatic conditions is 
not wholly obscured. Local markets may hasten the harvest of 
certain crops, such as potatoes, near the large cities. 

HOW THE MAPS WERE MADE. 

In preparing these maps the dates for each operation were entered 
from the schedules returned by the township reporters on large 
county outline maps of the States.^ 

The altitude reported on each schedule was indicated also. In mak- 
ing the general maps showing dates by isochronal lines, a strict use of 
the individual reports was not possible. This is because there is for 
many crop operations a wide range of dates in the reports received 
from a county. Such differences are due (1) to the physical condi- 
tions, such as temperature, slope, drainage, and soils on each farm, 
(2) to the individual practice of the farmer, and (3) to the difficulty 
of estimating for some crops and operations the dates in a " normal 
or usual season " as requested on the schedule. Therefore, where it 
was reasonable to do so, county averages of the reported dates were 
used. Such averages sufficed for most of the operations in flat regions, 
especially for such definite events as the beginning of wheat harvest. 
Three sets of conditions, however, prevented the use of averages for 
all maps or for all parts of a map; large differences in elevation, two 
or more periods of planting, and, for certain operations, an extended 
period during which the work can be carried on. In a number of 
places east of the Rocky Mountains where the reports from different 
altitudes showed a well-marked topographic influence a contour map 
was used as an aid in drawing the isochronal lines. On most of the 
maps a heavy boundary line is drawn about the areas subdivided by 
the isochronal lines. Beyond such limits either the acreage was so 
small as to be of no significance or data were lacking. Where there 
were two or more well-defined planting periods the dates used were 
the modes, or the averages, of the most numerous group. Corn, 
spring oats, and late potatoes had to be treated in part in this way. 
Where the operation may be performed during an extended period 
the modal date was generally used, or the range in dates was shown 

1 For the l)fisic data uf-cd in the preparation of the following maps and graphs the 
compilers are indebted to the township reporters of the Bureau of Crop Estimates, to 
several instructors and extension workers in certain agricultural colleges and experiment 
stations, and to a number of their colleagues in the Department of Agriculture. 



6 Seedtime and Harvest. 

on the map. In general, the maps show the average of the usual 
dates when most (not all) farmers perform the crop operation desig- 
nated. 

The usual dates of performing the various operations on the crops 
are in most cases not likely to change materially, but now and then 
conditions arise which demand that farmers alter considerabl}^ the 
dates when certain field operations are performed, such, for instance, 
as seeding winter wheat late because of Hessian fly (compare figs. 11 
and 12). 

THE LABOR GRAPHS. 

The labor graphs that follow are based on records of labor dis- 
tribution which the Office of Farm Management obtained from farms 
in widely different parts of the United States. Those from the north- 
eastern quarter of the United States, where crops with dissimilar 
labor requirements associated with a fair amount of live stock char- 
acterize the farming, show a more uniform distribution of labor 
throughout the year than do those from the cotton belt or the wheat 
regions of the West, where the farming is characterized by crops 
with similar labor requirements associated with a small amount 
of live stock (compare figs. 1, 2, and 3 with figs. 4, 5, 6, and T). 
While it is true that there are many economic advantages in choos- 
ing a combination of crops and live stock that will keep labor rather 
steadily employed throughout the year, it does not necessarily follow 
that such combinations are the most profitable under all conditions. 
There can be little question that the cotton farmer of the South or 
the wheat grower of the West would combine enterprises with a view 
to employing labor more steadily if such a combination would pay 
him best. 

On the graphs showing labor distribution, each small rectangular 
area shaded represents a total of 100 hours' labor spent in a 10-day 
period. It will be noted that in many cases a white line divides the 
shaded portion of a 10-day bar into two parts. When this is the case 
the part below the white line represents the number of hours of labor 
on the farm supplying the record, and the part above represents the 
hours of labor put in by the farmer and his help on neighbors' farms, 
either given in exchange for help or, in some cases, paid for in cash 
by the neighbors. The records obtained do not indicate the time 
when neighbors gave labor in return, but undoubtedly some of the 
higher 10-day bars, especially those during the harvest season, when 
the practice of exchanging labor is most common, are the result in 
part of help received from neighbors.^ 

- Tersons who dosire information beyond what is contained in this bulletin concerning 
transient labor in the wheat regions of the West, the labor requirements of field crops, 
and the geographical distribution of crops will find the following publications helpful : 

The Harvest Labor rroblcm in the Wheat Belt. U. S. Dept. of Agr. Bulletin 1020. 

Labor and Material Requirements of Field Crops, U. S. Dept. of Agr. Bulletin 1000. 

Graphic Summary of American Agriculture. CMaps showing the distribution of crops 
and live stock in the United States.) U. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook Separate 6S1. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



'''^' FRUIT & GENERAL FARMING REGION 
SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL LABOR 

ON A 
At,B. r^o X, ^^® ^^^^ DIVERSIFIED FARM 

APPLES.HAY.BEANS.WHEAT.POTATOES,PEAS.OATS.CORN & PASTURE 
WESTERN NEW YORK 




f„ ^,^;. 1-— Fruit growing and general farming are the more common tvnes of 
f^X^ °^ 111 western New York. Tlu> intensive fruit farms whidiare^ found 
mostly within a f,,w miles of 1h<. shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie and 
bordering the inland lakes, usually have only a few acres of farm crops In the 
general farming area lying back of the fruit belt small to medium sized anoll 
orchards are found on many farms. The man-labor requirement on these diversi 
tied farms is quite uniform throughout the growing season with the exception of 
the haying and harvesting period in midsummer and again durin- the per od of 
fall seeding and of bean, potato, and apple harvesting. The farm for whi^chHbor 
distribution is shown in the graph above is in a diversified fa imiin^ rc-ion ind 
although an apple orchard is a common enterprise in this region It ["unus^il 
hi. fl4°in'"t^'''' '"^ !?/^^. '" proportoin to other enterpri^-s Th.^^ were on 
this farm in the year illustrated in the graph above 40 acres of annles in full 
beiinng and 2 of pears. 4S of hay, 26 of wheat 19 of I)eans 19 of o'^^^^^ 
peas 12 acres of corn for silage, acres of rye. 7 of potatoes 7 of pasture and 
a half acre of cabbage and other vegetables. Two men were h red bv the Ve^i 
another man was employed during July and August ancrduring the latter ha f 
of September 2 to 4 extra men were hired bv the day DuHng October and e^rlv 
Nov-ember a force varying from 8 to 24 in humber was eSved in pack L and 
l^-m"flInagZ^ent'r''- ''"''^ '''''''''"' ''^ ^- ^'- ^^^°°^"' lSltur?^?''oIel°of 

•• ^.VJ'',-^^" ^^^^ F^^^ •''''°"^f' ^"'^ t'lo^*^ that follow each small rectan-iilii- n.-e-, 
vhi'^'S'^ "'P'-.'^-^^nts a total of 100 hour's labor spent in a ten-da v period The 
oir the Ta'-m* "" •^°^*^^""^'« divide the shaded arei mark off time'^sp'ent workTng 



Seedtime and Harvest. 



1^123 CORN BELT 

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SOUTHWESTERN ILLINOIS 


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CENTRAL IOWA 


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Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



^^^^ SPRING WHEAT REGION 

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ON A 

600 ACRE GRAIN FARM 

NORTH DAKOTA 


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'''G^ WINTER WHEAT REGION 

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70281°— 22- 



10 



Seedtime and Harvest. 



FIG 7 COTTON BELT 

SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF FIELD LABOR 

ON A 

552 ACRE COTTON. CORN AND OATS FARM 

SOUTHERN GEORGIA 


HOURS 
900 
800 
700 
600 
500 
400 
300 
200 

too 


HOURS 
500 

400 

300 

200 

too 


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FIG 6 COTTON BELT 

SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF FIELD LABOR 

ON A 

I60 ACRE FARM 

BLACK WAXY PRAIRIE OF TEXAS 


HOURS 
900 
800 
700 
600 
500 
400 
300 
200 
100 


HOURS 
600 

400 

300 

200 

100 


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CCI'^O^ ^i, ~ ^ - 

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« o d wHi-itri -w 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



11 




Fig. 8. — The average dates of the last killing frost in spring-. Map much reduced 
and generalized from a map prepared by the United States Weather Bureau and pub- 
lished m the Frost and the Growing Sea.son section of the Atlas of American Agri- 
culture. 



12 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Fio. 0. — Aveiago dates of the first killing frost in fall. Map much n^duccd and 
goncralized from a maia prepared by the United State* Weather Bureau and published 
in the I'rost and the Growing Season section of the Atlas of American Agriculture. 



'Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



13 




Fig. 10. — Average length of the growing season. Map much reduced and gen- 
eralized from a map prepared by the United States Weather Bureau and published 
in the Frost and Growing Season section of the Atlas of American Agriculture. 



14 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Fig. 11. — Kansas and Nebraska have nearly one-third the winter wheat acreage in the 
United States. Seeding begins in central Neln-aska about September 1 and ends in texas 
about October 1. In southwestern Illinois, southern Indiana, and northeastern Maryland, 
other important centers, seeding begins usually about September 21. In eastern Kansas, 
Missouri, southern Illinois and Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, the seeding dates 
shown on the map, which represent the practice of most farmers, are so early as to 
invite injury by the fly in practically every vear. It is a serious problem to seed late 
enough to avoid injury" by the Hessian fly and yet early enough to give the wheat a good 
start before winter sets in. , . 

In this and succeeding maps the heavy dot-and-dash line represents the boundary of the 
crop, beyond which either the acreage is so small as to be of no significance or else the data 
are insufficient to permit drawing isochronal lines. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



15 




Pir.s 1"^ and 13— This map is an attempt to conolate tho yecomnTondations of the 
diffeieli't «ne"iment stations as to the date of seeding winter wheat. The results of ex- 

mofo<^ist' Planting in the north depends largely on the season and the labor situation 
chance of still securing the maximum yield. 



16 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Fif!. 14. — The harvest of winter wheat begins in central Tixas usually al)Out May -j, 
but is of little importance until central Oklahoma is reached about June ;>• in tins 
section the army of transient harvest hands begins to assemble, and reachess its maxi- 
mum size in central Kansas, where the harvest begins usually about June lo. liy 
June 25, in the normal veai-, there are r.O.dOO transient laborers, it is estimated work- 
ing in the wheat fields of Kansas. I'art of them have come in from the h-outh, uiwii 
completion of the harvest there: iiart of them have l)een gathered from the cities and 
other centers of employment in the East, largely by the public and private labor agencies 
in Kansas Citv and other points: and in part the army is composed of local labor 
assembled from adjacent towns and villa.ges. By July 1 harvest has l>egun in soutJi- 
central Nebraska, and the harve.st army, constantly disintegrating and being reintorced 
by fresh i-ecruits. is Imsy in the wheat fields of that State. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



17 




Figs. 1.> and 10. — \^ intor-whoat harvrst becomes general in central Oklahoma usually 
about June 1... in central Kansas about June 25, in southern Nebraska alx)ut July 5 
In southwestern Illinois,, southern Indiana, and eastern Maryland it is general usually 
trom June 21 to .luly 1. Along the northern margin of the winter-%yheat region in 
New lork and Michigan, and also in eastern Washington and Oregon, harvest is 
general about July 21. Two weeks after haryest is general it is oyer in all these 
regions except m eastern Washington and Oregon, where the harvest may not be 
finished before August 20 or 25. Records indicate that the average amount of labor 
required to harvest an acre of wheat in southeastern Pennsylvania, western Illinois 
and Kansas is about 3 man and 4 horse hours, and in thrashing about the .sjime 
amount. In California, with a combine harvester, the figures are 2 man and 10 horse 
hours per acre ; and in eastern Washington, with combine, 2 man and 8 horse hours 
without a combine 1.5 man and 3 horse hours to harvest and 4.5 man and 4 5 horse 
hours to thrash an acre. 

70281°— 22 3 



18 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Fin. 17.— Minnpsota. the Dakotns. nnrl eastorn Wasliington prodiuo over t'^^e-fourt ^ 
of the sm-iua- whrat ffrowii in Uie Unit<-cl States. Lines are drawn on the map only foi 
?Lse areas ?alt of the Rockv Mountains having in general over 100 acres per county i„ 
the census year 1909. The seeding of spring wheat begins '""'"-.^heastern Nebraska and 
western Iowa usually about March 21, and during the following ten days it begins 
Uiioughounost of South Dakota and in Minnesota south of the Minnesota R'ver B.v 
April 11 it is beginning in northern North Dakota and north central Minnesota Mong 
the mar^n of the spring wheat belt in northern Minnesota and at higher altitudes in 
the West seeding usually does not begin until April 21 or even later. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



19 




Pigs. 18 and 19. — The seeding of sprintj wheat becomes general in southern South 
Dakota usually about April 1 and in northern North Dakota about April 21, or some 
10 days after the beginning date. In the Big Bend and Palouse districts of eastern 
Washington seeding is general during the first half of April. The usual duration of the 
period from licginning to end of seeding is about 20 days in Nebraska, where the acre- 
age is small, 30 days in northern South Dakota, and .3.5 days in northern North Dakota. 
In eastern Washington it is .SO to 40 days. In the Dakotas and Montana seeding wheat 
requires on the average a half hour of man labor per acre and two hours of horse labor. 
The amount of land that can be seeded is dependent not only upon the supply of labor 
and efficient use of machinery in fall plowing, and in the plowing and seeding" after the 
land thaws out in the spring, but also upon weather conditions during both these 
periods. 



20 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Fig. 20. — The harvest of spring wheat begins in, castcru Nebraska and western 
Iowa usually about .July 15, or at the time winter wheat harvest ends. By August 1 
wlieat harvest has usually begun throughout practically all of South Dakota'and south- 
ern Minno.sota and by August 11 it has nearly reached the Canadian line. In eastern 
Washington and Oregon spring wheat harvest begins usually about July 1.5 in the 
warmer river valleys, but not until August 10 on the higher, cool plateaus. The 
o'^^^5"^"* labor supply for the harvest in Minnesota and the Dakotas, estimated at 
.:iO,000 to 40,000 men, comes mostly from States to the south where it has been em- 
ployed in harvesting winter wheat, auri from the logging camps in the Great Lake 
region. In Washington and Oregon the local supply is depended on, supplemented hy 
laborers from the logging camps and mines. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



21 




Figs. 21 and 22. — Harvest bocomes general in the southern portion of tlie spring 
wheat States usually by August 1 and is over by August 11. Along the Canadian 
border harvest becomes "general by August 21 and is practically over by September 1. 
Most of the spring wheat in the United States is harvested in the normal year between 
July 20 and September 1, and practically all by September 20. Records from North 
Dakota show that it retjuires, on the average, aliout 3 hours for a man with four 
horses to plow and prepare an acre for wheat, a half hour to seed an acre, 1 to 2 hours 
to harvest an acre, using only 2 or .3 horses,, .3 hours to thrash an acre, of which two- 
thirds is the labor of a hired crew, and 1 hour to market the wheat, a total of about 
9 man hours and 21 horse hours of labor per acre. In the eastern Palouse district of 
Washington the average total amounts are 9 man and 29 horse hours : in the Big Ben 
region, including labor on siimmer fallow, 8 hours of man and 45 hours of horse labor. 



22 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Figs. 23 and 24. — Winter oats are grown mostly where the average winter tempera- 
ture exceeds 35 degrees, and hence are important only in the regions south of the Ohio 
and Potomac rivers and along the Pacific coast. Seeding begins in the Ohio and 
Potomac valleys usually about September 1 and ends about October 1 ; along the 
nortliern margin of the cotton belt seeding begins al)out Sei>tember 21 and may con- 
tinue 30 to 50 days ; and finally in northern Florida it begins about October 21 and 
is over by Decemb<^r 15. In western Washington seeding takes place usually during 
September, in Oregon during September and October, and in California mostly during 
October and November. Winter oats in all these sections are mostly a minor crop and 
seldom require extra lalx>r. In the South plowing, harrowing, and seeding an acre of 
oats requires in general to 10 hours of man labor and 13 to 20 hours of horse or 
mule labor. To produce an acre of winter oats requires from 10 to 20 hours of 
man labor. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



23 




Fif;s. 25 and 26. — The harvesting- of winter oats lieg-ins alone: the Gnlf Coast early 
in May and progresses northward across the cotton belt at the rate of 10 to 15 miles 
a day, reaching the northern boundary of the cotton belt about June 11 and the lower 
OhiO' and Potomac valleys usually by June 21. The winter oat harvest end.s along the 
Gulf Coast usually by June 1, and in the Ohio and Potomac valleys before July 11. 
Along the Pacific Coast the harvest of winter oats begins in western Washington 
during the latter part of June or early July and may last into August ; in western 
Oregon it begins usually during the first half of July and is over by August 1 : and in 
California the harvest begins from mid-April to July 1, varying with locality and farm 
practice, and ends usually 4 to S weeks later. In the South it requires in general 
about 8 hours of man labor and 6 hours of mule labor to harvest an acre of oats, 
except in central Texas, where only half as much man labor is required. 



24 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Pir,. 2(. — Thp spring oat b*>lt consists of a crescent-shaped area ext.ndinj: from New 
England to North Daljota, hounded on the north by the Oreat Lakes and on the south 
and west by a curved line across central Ohio, Illinois, eastern Nebraska, and thence 
northward along the Missouri River. In the corn belt oats are sown in the spring be- 
fore corn-planting time and harvested in .Tulv after the corn is laid by. There is. there- 
fore, very little competition with the more" profitable corn crop for labor at critical 
times of year. In th(> spring wheat region of the Northwest there is some competition 
for labor between the seeding of oats and wheat, but as the oats are generally sown 10 
days later than the wheat they s«>r\e to lengthen and make less strenuous the seeding 
sea.son. Outside the oat belt described above, spring oats are not a sufficiently import- 
ant crop to affect seriously the requirements for farm labor. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



2.5 




Figs. 28 and 29. — Seeding of spring oats begins in the lower portion of the Ohio and 
Potomac River valleys al)out March 1 to 15 in the normal year, is general March 21 to 
April 1, and is over by April 11 to 21 : in central Illinois seeding begins about March 21, 
IS general usually April 1 to 11, and ends about April 15 ; in northern Iowa it begins 
about April 5, is general about April 11. and ends about April 21 ; and along the Canadian 
line in North Dakota it begins about April 21, is general about May 5, and is finished by 
May 21. In western New York seeding begins usually about April 15, is general by May 
1, and is over by May 15. The preparation of land for oats in east central Illinois re- 
quires about two hours of man labor per acre and eight hours of horse labor, while for 
drilling about a half hour of man labor and an hour of horse labor are required. In 
other parts of the country the labor required for this operation appears to be 50 to 100 
or more per cent greater. 

70281°— 22 4 



26 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Pig 30 — Tho hnrvost of spring oats begins ;ilong tlio Oulf Coast usually about May 
21 and progr(.ss(-s northward up tho Mississippi Valley at tlie average rato of IJ mil>;S 
a day until aV>out August 11 it crosses the boundary into ( anada. Along the Atlantic 
and Pacific coasts the rate is somewhat less rapid. In c(>ntral Illinois, central Iowa and 
eastern Nebraska, in which States nearly one-third of the total oat acreage of the United 
States is found the harvest usually begins about July 11. In east central Illinois about 
2 5 hours man labor and S to 4 hours of horse labor are required to cut and s;hock an 
fere of oa s In NortrDakota the labor '-^U'red f^r harvesting averages 2 hours ^^^^ 
man 'abor and 4 hours of horse labor per acre, while m wesi:ern New YoiL the cosre- 
spond^g figures are 3.5 hours of man labor and 3.5 hours of horse labor per acre. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



27 




Fics 31 find 32. — The harvest of spring ofits is genoral along the Gulf Const usually 
about .lune 11. but it is July 1-11 heforc the harvest is general in eastern Kansas, the 
lower Ohio and the Potomac valleys. This is about the time wheat harvest ends. By 
mid-July oat harvest is general in central Iowa, central Illinois, and southern Ohio, and 
by mid-Augu.st in western Washington, North Dakota, and New York. Oat harvest is 
considerably later in the eastern States than at the same latitude and altitude in the 
central and far West. In Minnesota, the Dakotas. and eastern Washington oat harvest 
seriously overlaps upon that of spring wheat. The total amount of labor required to 
produce an acre of spring oats, including thrashing, averages about 10 hours of man 
labor and 20 hours of horse labor in east central Illinois, 8 hours of man labor and 20 
hours of horse labor in North Dakota, 20 hours of man labor and 2.5 hours of horse 
labor in western New York. 



28 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Fig. 33. — Planting corn begins usually before February 1 in extreme sniitbeni Texas 
and progress^es northward at an average rate of lo mihs a day until by May 1 it ha.s 
begun generally in central Nebraska, north central Illinois, and central' Ohio. During 
the next 10 days corn planting begins in practically all regions where it is grown 
northward to the Canadian line. Throughout the great corn States of Ohio, Indiana, 
Illinois, and Iowa, and in southern Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota corn 
planting is general about May 15. In New York and northern and eastern Wisconsin 
it is general the last week in May. Planting is completed throughout the corn belt 
usually by ,Tune 1. In the South there are often two important planting periods dur- 
ing the season, an early planting before cotton planting and a late planting usually in 
June, aft*r the planting and chopping out of cotton is completed. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



29 




Fir,. 34. — The construction of silos has iirogTossed most rapidly in the Northern 
States,, where dairying is more widely developed than in the corn belt and corn does 
not have as long a season in which to mature. It is estimated that 50 per cent of 
the corn acreage in New York is now cut for silage, 36 per cent in Wisconsin, 11 per 
cent in Minnesota. 14 per cent in Kansas, and 9 per cent in Illinois. In Kansas, 
Missouri, and Virginia cutting- for silage usually takes place during August. Through- 
out the dairy and northern corn belt States cutting and putting up'silage occurs during 
September. This operation lequires the lalior of several men and in dairy districts 
e.specially it is often difficult to secure sufficient help. Records from Wisconsin indi- 
cate that cutting corn for the silo requires on the average about 3 hours of man labor 
and 6 hours of horse labor pei- acre, while filling the silo (including cutting corn in 
the field) rtquires about 16 hours of man labor and 17 hours of horse labor per acie 
of corn. 



30 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Flos. 35 and Sfi. — The ciittiiiir and ishockinsr of lorn is the comnmn prac'tico in the 
dairy States of the North and in Ohio, northeastern K<'ntucky, West Vinj;inia. and most 
of Virginia and Maryland, also in the eastern Ozark region of Missouri. ' Cutliug begins 
throughout this entire area between September 1 and 21. and is general from Iowa east- 
ward to New York, Tennessee, and Virginia during the last 10 days of September. In 
the hill lands of New England and New York, in northern Wiscfinsin and from Iowa 
northward, westward, and southward it is general between September 10 and 20. The 
dott(Hl line on the small corner map shows where the beginning of cutting and shocking 
of corn Occurs, on the average, at the same time as the beginning of seeding of winter 
wheat. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



31 




Figs 37 and 88.— The small insert map (flg. 38) shows In what part of the United 
Statesit s the common method to husk or jerk corn from the standing st.ilks. This 
oieration1,egins /S the Southern States du"ng September (in central Te^^^^^ 
PIorirl-1 dnriiio- \uoiist) and becomes general during October. In the heait ot tne 
com belt lusking from the standing stalk begins during the latter part of October 
and continues into I3eeember. The amount of labor required for this operation, as 
Ihownbviecords from Iowa and Illinois is about 6 hours of man labor and 12. hours 
of horse lahor per acre. The stalks are plowed under later m the fall or m the 
spring. Little transient seasonal labor is employed m the culture of com. 



32 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Pig. 39. — Kafir is confined practically to the Southwestern States where, owing to 
its drought resistant character, it has become an importiuit crop. It is both harvested 
for seed and cut for foiage. As Icaflr is a comparatively new crop, farm practice in 
its culture is not as well established as with other staple crops, while the long grow- 
ing season and vicissitudes of rainfall over much of its range not only permit but 
enforce wide latitude in. dates of planting and harvest ; hence, it has been possible to 
draw lines on the map only by 30-day rather than by 10-day periods. Very little 
transient labor from outside is used in harvesting kafir corn. In northwestern Texas 
records show an average labor requirement for harvesting and thrashing of 7 man hours 
and 9 horse hours per acre. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



33 




Fic. 40. — Timothy, sown separately or mixed witli clover, is the principal liay crop 
in the corn belt and in the eastern, northern, and Pacific northwestern dairying re- 
gions of the United States. In the hill lands of New York and in northern Wisconsin 
it constitutes over one-half of the acreage of all crops, and hay-making time becomes- 
the busiest period of the year. In the corn belt the cutting of clover hay frequently 
occurs at the same time as the last cultivation of corn and as a result there is a 
heavy demand for labor at this time of year. Little transient labor is used, however, 
in cutting and curing hay. Throughout the region of greatest production the cutting 
of timothy and mixed hay begins usually about July 1. Along the southern margin 
of the belt it may begin one to two weeks earlier and along the Canadian torder one 
to two weeks later. In general, the average amount of labor required to cut, rake, 
and haul to the barn is about 8 man and 8 horse hours per acre. 



34 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Fio. 41. —Alfalfa is the loading hay crop in the irrigatod valleys of the West and 
in the siibhumid section of the central (ireat Plains region. In the Ininiid parts ot 
the United States whe'e timothy and clov.r thrive farmers seldom choose to make 
alfalfa their leading hav crop. The fact that the tirst cutting interferes more with 
the cultivation of c<irn than does the cutting of timothy and clover, has much to do with 
the small acreage of alfalfa in the humid section of the corn belt. In Kansas and ^e- 
hraska the tirst cutting of alfalfa begins about .Tune 1: in eastern ( olorado the J>a!t 
Lake region, and in the Yakima and lower Snake Kiver Valleys about .Tune 10 ; m the 
Imperial and Salt River Valleys about April 1 ; in the Great Valley of California about 
April 15. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



35 




Figs. 42 and 43. — Throughout practically the entire range of alfalfa in the United 
State.s a second cutting is .secured. This "begins generally about five to seven weeks 
after the first cutting. In some of the warmer sections of the West it may occur within 
a month of the first cutting, while in the cooler sections of the North and East nearly 
two months may elapse. The requirement per acre for the first cutting, raking, and 
stacking in Kansas is about 8 hours of man and 10 hours of horse labor. For the second 
cutting the amount is generally somewhat less than for the first, as the crop is usually 
lighter. A third cutting of alfalfa occurs throughout most of its range, and in Cali- 
fornia six and even seven cuttings are secured. Reports indicate that the average 
amount of labor required per acre in Kansas for four cuttings, including raking and 
stacking, is about 21 hours of man and 27 hours of horse labor ; for 6 cuttings in 
California 40 hours of man labor,, including irrigating, and 38 hours of horse labor. 



36 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Fig. 44. — Cotton planting: begins usually about the midrtlo of March in (>xtreme 
f-outhern Texas and in northern Florida ; about .Vpril 1 in the Black Waxy Prairie of 
Texas, in central Louisiana, central Alabama, and central Georgia : and about April 21 
along tlie northern margin of the cotton belt. Records from the Black Piairie of 
Texas shew that cutting stalks, plowing or bedding, and harrowing requii'e, on the 
average, about 4 hours of man and 12 hours of horse or mule labor per acre, planting 
requires about 1 hour of man and o hours of horse labor, chopping out 11 hours of man 
labor, cultivating 7 hours of man and 14 hours of horse labor, picking about 32 hours 
of man labor, and hauling to the gin 2 hours of man and 3 hours of horse labor per 
acre, a total of approximately 57 hours of man labor and 32 hours of horse labor 
per acre. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



37 




Figs. 45 and 46. — Cotton planting is gonpial cluring tlie month of April It ends 
usually by Mav 21. Records from ninp localities in Georgia, Alabama. Mississippi, 
Louisiana, and" Arkansas show a requirement of 12 to 16 hours of man lalwr and l.i 
to 26 (average 20) hours of mule labor to prepare an acre of land for cotton, 2 hours 
man labor and al.so of horse labor to plant an acre, 15 to 22 (average 17) hours labor 
both man and lior.se to harrow and cultivate, 13 to 30 (average 18) hours man labor 
only to chop and hoe, and from 45 to 90 hours of man labor per acre to pick the crop. 
In addition, an average of 4 hours of man labor and 8 hours of mule labor per acre 
are required to haul the crop to the gin and market. The amount of labor recjuircd 
varies with the method of handling the crop, the character of the soil, and other 
factors, but in general the production of cotton east of Texas and Oklahoma requires 
from 100 to 140 hours of man labor and from 45 to 60 hours of mule labor per acre. 



38 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Figs. 47 and 48. — No other staple crop in the United States requires so muoh hand 
labor as does cotton. Next to picking, chopping- out — tliat is, thinning the plants to 
a certain distance apart in the row — is the most laborious process in the production 
of cotton. This operation begins usually about a month after planting, or about May 
1 in the southern portion of the cotton b«>lt and May 21 along the northern m.irgin, 
and ends four or five weeks later. Chopping out is done entirely by hand and requires 
in general from 13 to 25 hours of labor per acre in the eastern portion of the cotton 
bell, 18 hours being, perhaps, a fair average. In the Texas Black Waxy Prairie the 
reports indicate that only a))out 11 hours are required, on the average, for chopping 
out an acre of cotton. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



39 




Figs 49 and r.O. — The picking of cotton begins along the southern margin of the 
cotton belt from South Central Texas eastward about August 11. B.v August :-l in 
the normal year picking has begun in the Black Prairie of Texas, m central Alabama, 
and throughout the Coastal Plain of Georgia, and by September 11 it has begun along 
the northern margin of the cotton belt. Picking continues throughout the fall, not 
being finished usually until December. The corner map showing the dates when pick- 
ing ends is highly generalized, for on different farms in the same county the end of 
picking may be a"nv time within a period of three months. In general, it is figured 
that a negro " hand " can pick 150 pounds of lint cotton in a day, so that the amount 
of time varies with the yield from 30 to 100 hours per acre. The average time re- 
quired to pick an acre of" cotton east of Texas is 50 hours, a. greater amount of man 
labor than is required to produce 3 acres of corn in Illinois or 4 acres of wheat in 
Kansas. 



40 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Fig. 51. — Early potatoes constituto but a small part of the iX)tato crop of the United 
States, and their commercial production is developed principally in the South Atlantic 
and Gulf States, whence they are shipped, both by rail and boat, to the northern cities. 
The plantint? of early potatoes l)eiiins in southern Florida in November or December 
and lasts for two months or more, in central Florida planting- begins about February 
20, around Charleston February 1, in the Noi'folk district March 1,. and in the district 
around New York City about April 1. Early potatoes are not a commercial crop north 
of New York City, hut a few arc jilanted for home use. In noithern Maine and 
northern Minnesota this planting- liegins almut May 11, and practically coincides with 
tile planting of the late potato crop, which is the commercial crop in the Northern 
States. This map also shows, perhaps lietter than a temperature map, the progress 
of the season northward in the United States. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



41 




Figs. 52 and 53. — The digging of earlj' potatoes begins in southern Florida from 
January to March, in the Hastings, Fla., district usually about April 11, and by May 1 
has reached Charleston, S. C. It is in progress in the Norfolk, Va., district usually by 
June 1, and I>egins on Long Island about July 1. Since Charleston is located nearer 
the northern markets and has cheaper transportation rates than Hastings, when ship- 
ments begin from Charleston those from Hastings dwindle rapidly,, and likewise when 
the Norfolk shipments begin the Charleston season soon ends. On Long Island, if prices 
are high, the crop' is dug during July and sold as early potatoes, but if prices are low 
the potatoes are not dug until fall. The average amount of labor required to produce 
an acre of early potatoes in the Hastings, Fla., district is about 115 hours of man 
labor and 66 hours of horse labor. Of this amount 79 hours of man labor and 12 
hours of horse labor per acre, according to the records, were required in digging. 



42 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Fio. 54. — The lato potato <Top constitutes probablv 95 por cent (.f the total potato 
production of the United States. In practically all thi> large producing centers, except 
those in ('alifornin, tills crop is planted between April 1 and June 11. In Aroostook 
County. Me., planting is general usually about May 1">, in western New York May 21 to 
June i, in Michigan and central Wisconsin June 1 to 11, in the Minnesota and Colorado 
districts about May 1."). out in the Stockton, Calif., district planting extends from March 
until July 1, while diguing takes place from June 1 until February 15. In this region 
there is little seasonal ehangt- in temperature and the dates of planting and digging de- 
pend more on the market price than upon weather conditions. In the Maine, New York, 
Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota districts, on the other hand, the necessity of dig- 
ging the crop before the ground freezes limits to a period of a few weeks not only the 
digging but also the planting of potatoes. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



43 




Figs. 55 and 56. — The digging of late potatoes in all the large producing districts, ex- 
cept those in California, occurs usually lx4ween September 15 and October 11. The 
earliest digging generally occurs around the large cities. Owing to the moderate autumn 
temperature along the Lake shores in Michigan and New Yorli digging may he delayed as 
late as the latter half of October. In the Wisconsin district several records indicate that 
plowing and preparing the ground for potatoes requires about 9 hours of man labor and 
20 hours of horse labor, planting 8 hours of man and 2 hours of horse labor, cultivating, 
spraying, and hoeing 17 man and 11 horse hours, harvesting 35 man and 13 horse hours, 
while there were spent in marketing and miscellaneous work on the crop an average of 
19 man and 34 horse hours — a total of 88 hours of man and SO of horse labor per acre. 
Practically all this work iii the northern States is done by the farmers with the help 
during digging time of labor secured from near-by villages. 



44 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Pi.;s. 57 and 58.-The ohi.-f susar-b.-et districts of .the ^Inited States are found m 
California, Colorado. Utali, Idaho. Michigan, and Wisconsin. n the Michigan a^^ 
Wisconsin districts, and in adjacent States, sugar beets are clt.val undei humi^^ 
conditions,, while in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and other ^^"^ ;™ ,*?;•*; l^,/."^ ^Vi?^^ 
produced under irrigation. In California sugar beets are grown both wit -'"d wi\fo"^ 
irrigation. Ther.^ is a wide range in the dates, when the ^P^'AUohtr^nd Iv v con 
are performed. Planting may begin in ^al>fo'?'«a« early as Oc^obei^^^^^^ con 

tinue as late as the following Ma.v. In tlie irrigated districts "^ ^oloi^\d"-,^J,,\f °'f ^ 
l.liho Dlantine varies from the first of April till the middle of June. Ihe bulk ot tne 
plan ing i^^ from April 25 to Ma.v 20. This is true also of Michi- 

|an and Wisconsin. Thinning begins from three to four weeks after planting. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



45 




,^l'i«- o9- — Pulling, or "lifting" sugar beets begins in southern Calif oi-nia from tho 
10th to the 20th of July, and in the Santa Maria and Salinas valleys in August. It 
begins m late September or the first 10 days in October in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and 
other western mountain districts. In Michigan and Ohio the dates are approximately 
tue ^me. The labor engaged to do the blocking and thinning also performs usually 
this final hand operation of pulling and topping. The sugar companies usually make 
the necessary arrangements for bringing this labor into the district where it is needed. 
In the Middle West laborers for the thinning are obtained from large cities. A fair 
proportion of the hand work in southern Colorado and also in southern California is 
done by Mexican labor. Farther north in California, also in northern Utah and 
suthern Idaho, much of the hand work is done bv Japanese. According to reports 
trom the Greeley district in Colorado sugar beets refjuire a total of about 120 man 
hours and 100 horse hours per acre. About three-fifths of the man labor was con- 
tracted. 



46 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Figs. 60 and 61. — The chief centers of production of dry edible beans are New York, 
Michigan, and California. The acreage devoted to beans also has been expanding in New 
Mexico, Colorado, Washington, and Idaho during the past two years. The Michigan 
and New York growers have confined their attention largely to the production of navy 
beans and kidney beans. In Colorado and New Mexico the pinto or Mexican bean is 
grown to the exclusion of practically all other varieties. There are two distinct districts 
in California ; one, located along the southern coast, produces lima beans exclusively, 
while in the other area, which includes the valleys and coast of central California, pinks, 
Lady Washington, and navy beans are grown. The planting or seeding period in the 
lima bean district varies from April 1.1 to Mav 1. In the other district the planting be- 
gins between the 20th of April and the 1st of May. In New York, Michigan, and Wis- 
consin bean planting begins from May 13 to -June 10, usually after corn planting. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



47 




Fig. 62. — In the lima bean district of southern California the beginning of bean har- 
vest varies from August 15 to September 15. The beginning of harvest for thase coun- 
ties that produce pinks. Lady Washington, and navy beans also varies from August 15 
to September 15. The Colorado bean harvest begins the latter part of August or early 
in September. In the plains area this work does not conflict appreciably with other 
farm operations, but in the irrigated districts the completion of the bean harvest may 
interfere to some extent with potato digging or in some cases with beet lifting. Michi- 
gan and New York bean growers begin harvesting from August 20 to September 20, the 
most common date being September 1. In the bean-growing counties of Michigan the 
crop is usually out of the way by the beginning of sugar-beet harvest. Beans and po- 
tatoes compete for labor at this season of the year in some New York districts. Corn 
harvest or silo filling may also demand attention at this time. 



48 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Pigs. 63 and 64. — Plug and export tobacco (hurley and heavy dark tobacco) are 
grown mainly on the heavy clay soils of the Ohio River valley. Tobacco for cigar 
wrappers, binders, and fillers is grown in scattered localities from western Florida 
to New England and Wisconsin, mainly, however, in the Connecticut valley of New 
England. Smoking and chewing tobacco is extensively grown in the Piedmont and 
coast regions, of Virginia and the Carolinas, mostly on sandy loam soils. Tobacco is 
sown in lieds early in the spring and later transplanted. In the more southern dis- 
tricts these beds are prepared from about Ft>bruary 1 to March 15, and in the more 
northern districts from about March 1.^ to April 1. Transplanting in Florida begins 
about the 21st of March and in the most northern localities in New York and Wisconsin 
it l>egins as late as June in. In the central districts, where the bulk of the tobacco is 
grown, the transplanting begins a1)out May 10 and continues up to about June 1. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



49 
I 




Fir fi5— Tobacco is cfnorally i-eady to cut and house about three months after it is 
transph'med nft^^f S^umn'r ^istrict^ in western Florida it ^^/"t ^^'l^ J°,J",°cti^°^i 
along the coastal phiin of the Carolinas as early as i^yJ\;^J^jll}% ^^^n^fe qMo 
cnttino- nnd housins- takes nlace from about August 20 to beptembei lo. in tne unio 
Ri"r^valle^y wherlibout Salf of the tobacco of the United States is grown s^^^^^ 
drouths ar4 frequent. Howt v< r, if tobacco gets a good ^^it after tiansp anting it 
will stand practically dormant until rains come when itji speed up its giowt^^^ 
usually mature before frost. While it usually takes more labor to cut and house to 
bicco than the farmer and his family can supply, there is usually a sufficient amount 
of la^i In the communfty foi this work Much of the tobacco in the United States is 
grown by sman tenant farmers who rent 5 to 10 aci;es on shares for a season, practi- 
cally all the work being done by the tenant and his family. 



50 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




central OPorH^n,,fn^-tho°l-™'^''^''^ ""P "^ peaches begins in the important centers of 

the (Wkf n Hi. h, n.^^t'^V''"" ^^^''f "o^y-'^^y a^*'"* July 10 «»'' *« O^"" '^J' the 20th, in 
•Vr„i V.tiM^i .'■ ^ li^^',"** l^ttween July 25 and August 15, in Delaware bv mid- August 

rSo sfs us'^nv\°bo,f 'u>)"'^fi-«"^ September ^l\o 20. The picking se^.son inX^e 
l^\TL\T^f^^\^}iul}^u^^}''-^''^'i '°"^; In California picking begins some years as 
sk erable sunniv of trnn^ L''V^'°' M^gnst. Picking peaches commonly requires a con- 
„; supply ot tiansuiit labor. An averaire cron in central (Vora-ia 1 ^'S hnshf^i 

baskets^'[n w:«r^^V"'!^'-="*'^"* ?•' ^"{''■^ "f '"=^" '"l>°'' • a-^'l a ?rop ofYss^a'ates (or 270 
on a out SOO^rPcon «^fr/?/''*^" ^•''?"* ^^' '^""''^ ^^ ^''^^'or per acre. The map is based 
on auout ouu lecoids fiom eonnnercial growers received during the 10 vears 1902-1^11 

Plant IndSiv'. *''" ^"'' "' "°'"^"'f"'-=^l «°d Pomological Investigations, BuLu of 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



51 




Fig. 67. — The Ben Davis apple is one of the most important commercial varieties anil 
has a wide range. The date of its picking may. therefore, be considered representative 
of the date when extra labor is needed in handlinu the winter apple crop. Picking be- 
gins about September 21 along the southern margin of the apple belt and progresses 
northward until about a month later it is beginning in Michigan and New York. In 
large centers of apple production, especially in Missouri, Michigan, and New York, a 
considerable amount of transient labor is requiretl to assist in this operation. In gen- 
eral for an 80-barrel crop in New York about 50 hours of labor are required for picking 
and 50 for sorting, packing, and hauling; and in Hood River, Oreg., 50 hours for picking 
and 100 for sorting, packing, and hauling a crop of 200 packed boxes per acre. The map 
is based on about 700 records from commercial growers received during the 10 years 
1902-1911 by H. P. Gould, of the Office of Horticultural and Pomological Investigations, 
Bureau of Plant Industry. 



52 



Seedtime and Harvest. 




Fig. 68. — The principal centers of commercial strawterry p-roduction are shown on 
the map surrounded Uv circular lines, and dates are given in.^ide each circle showing 
when picking usually begins in that district. The irresailar lines extending from the 
Atlantic coast to the Great Plains mark off the zones when picking begins, according to 
reports from scattered growers outside the important strawberry centers. Lines are 
drawn only for the first of each month, as the dates are too variable to justify drawing 
lines for 10-day periods. Throughout most of Florida and along the Texas coast pick- 
ing occurs during .January and Fel>ruary. In southern Georgia and Mississippi picking 
begins about March 1, in the Carolina district about April 1, in the eastern Maryland 
and Delaware and Ozark districts early in May. and in western Michigan and New 
York about .June 1. The mai) iv based upon data collected from commercial growers 
by F. J. Blair, of the Bureau of Crop Estimates, and loaned to the Otflce of Farm 
Management. 



Seasonal Work on Farm Crops. 



53 




Fig. 69. — Tomato-canning factories are confined practically to the central portion of 
the United States. The cannin<j season begins about August 1 in southern Virginia 
Tennessee, and north^Yestern Arkansas, and about a month later m the lake plain.s ol 
New York, in western Michigan and Iowa. The canning season generally lasts trom 
6 to 10 weeks. Large quantities of tomatoes are grown in southern Florida and iexas 
and shipped fresh to the northern markets from December to .June. Large quantities 
are also grown for consumption in the fresh state throughout the Northern btates. 
The picking of tomatoes for dome.stic use or for shipmejit usually begins two to four 
weeks earlier than the beginning of the canning season. In Maryland and other At- 
lantic coast districts women and children from nearby cities are employed in picking 
tomatoes. The map is based upon data collected from 477 canning factories by F. J. 
Blair, of the Bureau of Crop Estimates. 



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